Inspired by the posts made by myself and Don Gerz about journalism, I've been thinking about the Fairness Doctrine.
There's a floating theory amongst talk radio hosts that if Obama wins the presidency, that another attempt at pushing the Fairness Doctrine will occur. The short of the Fairness Doctrine, for anyone who didn't read the link above, is that if a radio show or commercial was deemed one sided by any group, that the station would be required to allow the "opposing" side time on that very slot to offer their viewpoint.
This certainly seems "fair," and may very well be, but in this day and age, is it necessary? Consider the fact that you're reading this on the internet, home of sites offering views from any angle. There's a strong Democratic presence at places like Daily Kos, and a powerful Republican presence at sites like the Drudge Report.
Newspapers are under no obligation to run viewpoints counter to what they report, nor do they face the inability to publish should they not.
Now, the common theme amongst conservative talk show hosts is that the doctrine is largely an attempt to eventually silence talk radio, because liberals in general have been largely failures at this medium of communication. Consider Air America, which was founded in 2004, and filed bankruptcy in 2006.
This largely gets shouted down or laughed at, but denying that liberals aren't as strong in that arena would be foolish.
I again reiterate that with a multitude of TV stations and the practically unlimited amounts of information (true and false) available on the internet, what is the need for this type of legislation? If someone is interested in finding out all sides of an issue, it's more than out there, and it's all too easy to find. Hell, a quick Googling of "Fairness Doctrine" gives me at least four articles, two on each side of the issue, without even scrolling down the page or glancing at the other 7.5 million hits. (See for yourself here)
So, is it just a loathing of conservatives that fuels this, (in my clearly biased opinion) unnecessary legislation? I could see that falling either way. (Personally, I think it's just jealousy that Sean Hannity is a good looking man for his age, and I feel no shame whatsoever in saying so.) Or is it a true, but (once again, my biased opinion here) misguided attempt to want every side of an issue available? , And for the record, Barack Obama does not support the Fairness Doctrine. (Link)
Time will tell.
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1 year ago
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3 comments:
My friend Don Gerz is having some technical difficulty, so here's the comment he wished to leave.
(Published with permission, of course)
"On the Fairness Doctrine: I agree. Even if one would attempt to apply the
Fairness Doctrine in any given situation, many would contest that fairness
had been achieved. Let each do his or her own research in order to approach
an informed position.
A BRILLIANT POST! Thanks. - Don Gerz"
Oh ho ho. Foolish to say that liberals aren't as good at talk radio, eh? Then what, my friend, would you call.....NPR!!!!! Muahahahahahaha. No seriously though. That's dumb legislation, I think there's a potential argument that it's a violation of 1st amendment rights and I'm glad you noted that Obama (as I expected) would not support that bullshit.
Friggin politics.
(I finally figured out how to get your blog to accept my comments!)
I agree with redline6561: NPR is good, very good. However, your point that right-wingers are more popular is well taken. I tell you this: I cannot think of any left-wingers who are as informative and enlightening as Bill Buckley was and George Will and David Brooks are. Both are right of center. I must know some leftists who are as incisive, articulate, and instructive as Will and Brooks are, but I sure can't think of any at present! :-( Of course, there must be some out there. Perhaps I cannot think of any because I pay more attention to what the loyal opposition says. I already understand what people like me are saying and why we are saying it. I need to figure out what the other side is thinking. I’m looking for the elusive truth, and I have discovered that I can somewhat approach it if I listen to what intelligent people say, regardless of their political bent. Heck, we’re all bent! :-)
Again, I very much enjoyed this post. I think it’s your best one yet. Keep it up! The world needs to hear what you think. (It needs to hear what we all think!)
Best regards,
Don Gerz
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